Here's how to celebrate New Year's Eve in Calgary
It's time once again for Calgarians to ring in the New Year, albeit with a couple of changes to the city's annual celebrations.
You could be used to watching fireworks launch off the Calgary Tower, but this year, the display will be set off in Prince's Island Park.
Calgary transit will also be free on the final day of the year, and offer extended running hours, to help those partaking in festivities get home safely.
Jonathan Radomski, event coordinator with the City of Calgary, said part of the reason the fireworks location has changed is to enhance viewing opportunities for Calgarians.
"If you can see [the park] you can see the fireworks … or you can come down to the River Walk or Princess Island itself to watch the [show] up close and personal," said Radomski.
Radomski added that the fireworks will also be synchronized to a musical soundtrack composed of Canadian artists and will last for approximately ten minutes.
For those who want to stay within the comforts of their home, but don't want to miss out on the action, Radomski said the city will host a livestream of the evening at calgary.ca/NYE.
The program will begin with a blessing from Blackfoot Elder Miiksika'am, or Clarence Wolfleg, and a message from Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek.
Calgarians will be able to skate later into the evening this New Year's Eve at the Olympic Plaza rink. (Acton Clarkin/CBC)
"Obviously [the fireworks program] is our main highlight," said Radomski.
"But there's tons to do across the city on New Year's Eve, and just being with family and friends is always fun."
Olympic Plaza in the city's downtown will be open for extended skating hours until midnight on New Year's Eve.
The Calgary Zoo, the Telus Spark Science Centre, and multiple Calgary Public Library locations will also run special New Year programming.
To cap it all off, transit in the city will be free on New Year's Eve with more frequent services offered later in the evening.
The C-Train's red line will run every ten minutes until approximately 9:30, switching to service every 15 minutes after that. The blue line will run every 13-15 minutes all day, with service for both lines ending at around 4 a.m.
Some bus routes will also see extended service, with the last trips leaving downtown at roughly 3 a.m.
"We know Calgarians are looking for a responsible way to get around the city, so we feel like offering free transit is a great way for people to do so," said Jenn Boyer, communications and information lead at Calgary Transit.
To facilitate the fireworks show, Crescent Road N.W. from 4th Street N.W. to 1st Street N.W. will be closed from 10 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2023, to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2024.
Radomski said it's hard to predict how many people will come out for the evening's events, but that because of the warm weather, the city expects high attendance.
